Every profession needs an introductory text to its core body of knowledge. This brand new, definitive text from renowned authors Gobinda Chowdhury, Paul F. Burton, David McMenemy and Alan Poulter provides an introduction to librarianship for students and new entrants to the profession. This handbook is the first to give a complete overview of all aspects of professional librarianship in the 21st century, and to offer an up-to-date, authoritative analysis of modern libraries and librarianship. The key areas covered are: libraries and information services: evolution or revolution; information...

Recent developments in IT, especially the World Wide Web, have led to the creation of a number of digital library research projects in the UK, USA and elsewhere. This phenomenon is designed to bring a shift in the ways we create, access and use information. The design and development of digital libraries depend on computer, communication and other technical skills, and the dream of successful digital libraries leading to a global digital environment can only be fulfilled when enough practitioners have the skills to design, build and manage them.

LIS professionals will have to be conversant with all the tools and techniques for organizing information in different domains - from traditional library shelf to full-scale digital libraries. This text covers the organization of the entire spectrum of information, and the principles, tools and techniques needed to do this effectively.

The increasing number of digital libaries in all sectors and the pressure of ever demanding and diverse user needs has encouraged development of user-centred interfaces. This volume explores what has been acheived in this field and what we can expect in the future through the prism of research.